The West Virginia Poetry Society 

Looking to sponsor a contest? 

West Virginia

Poetry Society

58th Annual Contest

2008

General Rules

(printable copy coming soon)

Entries must be received from

March 1, 2008 to July 10, 2008

Deadline: Postmarked on or before July 10, 2008

Poems Must:

1. Be the work of the contestant, unpublished, not submitted elsewhere.

2. Have no previous award (honorable mention OK), nor have been presented on radio or television.

3. Be submitted in ONE category only. ONE entry per category.

Format:

1.  Poems must be titled (except haiku or senryu).

2.  Type or print poem on one side of 8-1/2 x 11 paper, (no onionskin) single space and in English.  Show category number and name on upper left-hand corner.

3.  Present one original and one copy.  Name and address on upper right-hand corner of copy only.

4.  Enclose SEPARATE COVER PAGE LISTING ALL POEMS ENTERED, GIVING:

      a.Your name and address and if WVPS member

      b.Number and names of categories entered

      c.Title and first line of each poem.

5.  No poems will be returned.  Be sure to keep copies.  Non-winning poems will be destroyed at contest end.  Poems may not be withdrawn after entering contest.

6. Fees: No fee to current WVPS member or students. $1 per poem for non-members, maximum fee of $20 for 20 or more categories.

7. Send entries and total contest fee to the Contest Chair

Linda Poe, WVPS Contest Chair

RR 1 Box 25

Gay, WV 25244

Make checks payable to:

WV Poetry Society Treasurer.

8. All 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winning poems will be published in the 2008 Anthology, which will be available after November 30, 2008.  Winning poems can be read and certificates and checks awarded at the WVPS annual meeting in October.  Those not attending will receive their winnings in the mail soon after.  We retain only first rights to winning poems.

9. Those desiring a winner’s list must send a self-addressed stamped #10 envelope with their entries.

Categories

All categories will have 3 honorable mentions. Contest deadline July 10, 2008 (postmarked)

1. The Grugin Award                 

$100, $50, $25

Sponsored by Jim and Betty Grugin; Form: Ballad poem; Line limit: 60 including title and spaces between verses (may take two pages, stapled together)

2. Peerless Poets Award            

$50, $30, $20

Sponsored by Mary Ann Savage; Subject: Fictional person or place; Form: any. Line limit: 40.

3.  Two Maggies and a Kate Award

$30, $20, $10

Sponsored by Natalie Johnson Doty; Subject: Unrequited love (subject title not used in title or body of poem); Form: Any; Line limit: 40 including spaces between lines.

4. Harold C. Jacobs Award          

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Elizabeth Jacobs; Subject: Love of nature; Form: Rhymed and metered; Line limit: 24 or less.

5. The Gaurnier Family Award    

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Rob Gaurnier; Traditional haiku; Line limt: 5-7-5 syllables to 3 lines; need not be titled.

6. Henry A. Roma Memorial Award

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Susanna Roma; Subject; Flowers, Form: Sonnet (any kind).

7. Graeme Conly Moore Milne Memorial Award

$25, $15, $10

Subject: Memorable meal; Form: Rhyming verse; Line limit: one page.

8. Lee Mays Chapter Award

$25, $15, $10

Subject: Children; Form: Any; Line limit: 32.

9. Laurels Award

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Jim Bush; Subject: Any; Form: Any iambic pentameter (no sonnets); Line limit: 40; including spaces between stanzas.

10. In Other Voices Award

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Jim Bush; Subject: Any; Form: Dramatic monologue in unrhymed iambic pentameter; Line limit: 40, including spaces between stanzas.

11. Traditional Sonnet Award

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Jim and Linda Bush; Subject: Any, Form; Shakespearean or Italian Sonnet; Line limit: 14.

12. Hal and Lelia Wilson Memorial Award

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by the Wilson and Lapp families; Form: Short, humorous verse; Subject: Any in good taste; Line limit: 12, error free.

13. The Wo-Jo Sisters Award 

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Natalie Johnston Doty; Form: Any; Subject: High school reunions; Line limit: 40 including spaces between lines.

14.  Janice Davis Award   

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Debra Harmes Kurth; Form: Any; Subject: The single parent; Line limit: 40, including lines between stanzas.

15. Charleston Chapter Award 

$25, $15, $10

Form: Any; Theme: Flowers or musical instrument; Line limit: 24.

16. Morgantown Chapter Award

$25, $15, $10

Subject: Relationships (any kind); Form: Any; Line limit: 36.

17. The Warda Award 

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Gladys Warda; Subject: Getting older; Form: Any; Line limit: 20.

18. Harold Born Memorial Award

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Melba Dungey; Subject: Spectator sports; Form: Any; Line limit: 36.

19. Celebrations Award 

25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Melba Dungey; Subject: Your most memorable Christmas; Form: Any; Line limit: 36.

20.  Geraldine Jackson Memorial Award 

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by: Melba Dungey; Subject: Beautiful Gardens; Form: Any; Line limit: 36.

21. LIL ANN AWARD

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by: Carrie Quick; Subject: Light with a happy thought; Form: Iambic pentameter; Rhyme scheme: A1, A2, bcbc, A2, A1; Line limit: 8

22. The Imagination Award 

$25, $15, $10

Sponsored by Ann Gasser; Subject: Someday; Form: Any, poem may start with “someday” but must have different title; Line limit: 40.

23. Elementary Student Award

$25, $15, $10

Kindergarten to fifth grade; Sponsored by Natalie Johnston Doty; Subject: Any; Form: Any; Line limit: 36; Include your name, address, grade in school and name of school on the copy of your poem.

24. Student Award

$25, $15, $10

6th to 12th grade; Sponsored by Linda Poe; Subject: Any (no obscenity); Form: any; Line limit: 36; Include your name, address, grade in school and name of school on the copy of your poem.

Contest Anthologies

After November 30, 2008, the new Anthologies will be available for $8 plus $2 postage.  They may be obtained from the Contest Chair:

Linda Poe

WVPS Contest Chair 2008

RR 1, Box 25

Gay, WV 25244

 Monthly

 Drawings

Monthly drawings have been postponed until further notice due to lack of funds and lack of interest.  Sorry!